Arrests over theft of jewels at Louvre, police say

French media reported that two suspects were arrested in connection with the theft of valuable crown jewels from the Louvre Museum in Paris.

According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, one of the men was detained as he was preparing to board a flight from Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Last Sunday, items worth €88 million (£76 million; $102 million) were stolen from the world’s most visited museum when four thieves using power tools broke into the building in broad daylight.

France’s justice minister has since admitted that security protocols “failed”, leaving a “horrible image” in the country.

The Paris prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the arrests were made on Saturday evening, without specifying how many people were detained.

Specialized police can question these people for up to 96 hours.

He criticized the “early release” of information about the case, adding that it hindered efforts to recover the jewels and find the thieves.

The gang reportedly arrived at 09:30 (06:30 GMT), shortly after the museum opened to visitors.

Suspects came with a vehicle-mounted mechanical lift Accessing the Galerie d’Apollon (Apollon Gallery) via a balcony near the River Seine.

Footage taken from the scene shows a staircase leading to the first floor window.

Two of the thieves broke in by cutting the window with electrical tools.

They then threatened the guards who evacuated the building and cut the glass of two display cases containing the jewellery.

According to French media, a preliminary report revealed that there was no CCTV camera in one of the three rooms in the area where the raided museum was located.

French police said that the thieves stayed inside for 4 minutes and escaped with two scooters waiting outside at 09.38.

Security measures around France’s cultural institutions have been tightened, officials said.